1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the practice of weight lifting as a form of physical exercise. The rules of POWER LIFT COMPETITION require that lifts be made with Free weights; that is, Barbells free of safety chains and/or cables, as well as being unrestricted by mechanical devices in the lateral plane.
Currently, the standard procedure, recommended by those persons governing the sport, is for the exerciser to be accompanied and observed by one or more assistants. In the event that the individual in unable to return the Barbell to its stationary rack, the assistants take over and replace the Barbell in its rack, thereby avoiding injury to the exercising individual. The foregoing procedure is known as "Spotting." Quite frequently, however, the individuals disregard the need for assistants and proceed to exercise alone, sometimes to the point of exhaustion at which time, being unable to return the Barbell to the stationary rack, they have suffered very serious, sometimes fatal injuries.
2. Description of Prior Art
There are other devices and inventions which remove a Barbell from the chest or shoulders of an exhausted exerciser; they are, however, variously limited in their operation:
a. U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,726 to Faust discloses a device which relieves the user of a Barbell, but does not automatically return a Free Weight Barbell to a stationary rack.
b. U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,662 to Podolak discloses a device which relieves the user of a captive Barbell, but does not automatically return a Free Weight Barbell to a stationary rack.
c. U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,171 to Clark et al, discloses a device which alternatively adds and removes an addition weight to the Barbell, but does not relieve the user of a Free Weight Barbell and automatically return the Barbell to a stationary rack.
d. U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,524 to Sutherland discloses an adjustable rack which does not relieve the user of the Barbell nor does it return the Barbell to a stationary rack.
e. U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,186 to McCreery et al, discloses a manually operated device, the nature of which is not automatic and could not relieve a disabled user of a Free Weight Barbell and return the Barbell to a stationary rack.
f. U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,672 to Barrett discloses a device which relieves the user of a Barbell, but does not automatically return the Barbell to a stationary rack.
g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,875 to Tanski discloses a device which relieves the user of a Barbell, but does not facilitate multiple repetitions of a given exercise when used in the automatic mode, being unsuitable thereby for use by a disabled person. Furthermore the device is unsuitable for competitive use since any contact of the Barbell with any part of the apparatus negates the exercise. A further disadvantage of the device is that if an electrical or mechanical failure should occur between the time of activation and time of actual recovery, the unfortunate user could possibly suffer severe, if not fatal, injury.
h. U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,959 to Stevens discloses an apparatus which relieves the user of a captive Barbell, but does not automatically return a Free Weight Barbell to stationary rack.
i. U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,674 to Ochab discloses a device which prevents a captive Barbell from injuring its user, but does not return a Free Weight Barbell to a stationary rack.